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Fans with tickets attacked
24/05/2007 14:55 - (SA)
Athens - Uefa's head of communications William Gaillard blamed Liverpool fans on Thursday for the disorder that marred Wednesday's Champions League final.
Hundreds of fans with valid tickets were prevented from entering the ground as Greek police were accused of panicking as the full scale of the problems became apparent.
There were several reports of fans being struck with truncheons and having pepper-spray fired at them indiscriminately as police sought to break up crowds.
A number of fans spoke of their fears of a Hillsborough-style crush as police tried to force fans through a narrow gap between two buses.
Inside the stadium, there were worrying scenes, with aisles dangerously filled with fans, and stewards seemingly incapable of ensuring that fans sat in the correct seats.
Even in the press area there was chaos, with the former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann, whose introduction as a substitute turned the final in Istanbul two years ago, reduced to sitting on the step.
Other journalists had to carry chairs from the press-conference hall into the stadium as rows became filled - a clear indication that a large number of people without tickets had infiltrated the area.
Responsible for the problems
"It was a suitable venue," Gaillard insisted. "It is the stadium where the 2004 Olympics were held and where all the games of the (Greek) national team are held.
"Unfortunately in Britain it is the behaviour. Liverpool fans are responsible for the problems before, during and after the game.
"(They were) trying to go over the barriers to get into the stadium without tickets, which is not the behaviour we can condone. It is very easy to say 'this is not a football stadium'.
"Milan supporters didn't face the same problems because they didn't behave the same way."
That did not tally with eye-witness reports. There was overcrowding in the Milan end as well as the Liverpool end, with police suggesting there were as many as 20 000 forged tickets circulating.
"In terms of fans pushing and attempting to get over the barriers, with turnstiles there could have been a tragedy," Gaillard went on.
"At one point the police were overwhelmed and it is much to their credit that there were no dangerous incidents."
Nonetheless, Uefa will face criticism for selecting a stadium for the final that involved no turnstiles and at which stewarding was nonexistent.
"I didn't think the match should have been held at the stadium," said the former leader of the Conservative party, Michael Howard.
"It's not a football stadium and is not equipped to cope with that number of people. Ticket checks were a joke. Many people with valid tickets were not allowed in.
"That is not acceptable and Uefa really need to look at their procedures and make sure everything is all in order." - Sapa-dpa
- SAPA
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